The best dog wash station ideas include four common features: a location close to the entrance your dog uses, a handheld sprayer with warm water, a drainage system with a hair filter, and access without lifting your dog up. A paw-rinse station costs less than $50, a stainless steel dog tub $300 to $2,000 (without plumbing), and a custom tiled station $3,500 and above. Below you will find 10 stations for your mudroom, laundry room, garage and yard, including sizes by dog, realistic costs and plumbing considerations.
Where Should a Dog Wash Station Go?
Put it by the door your dog actually uses. One Reddit owner has to “walk my filthy dog through the living area to get her into the bathroom,” and that’s the mess a wash station should stop. Plenty of home dog wash station ideas fail on this point alone.
And then find the pipes. The water lines and the drain are typically the most expensive part. “It’d be in the laundry room which already has plumbing which is one of the most expensive parts,” another homeowner explained. They estimated tile and labor at about $2,000.
That’s why a mudroom dog washing station or a dog wash station in laundry room corners is the most common choice. A garage comes next, then the yard. An upstairs bathroom is the last resort, since you’d still be carrying a wet, muddy dog through the house.
10 Dog Wash Station Ideas
These dog wash station ideas are grouped by room, from a paw rinse under $50 to a custom tiled shower.
1. Mudroom: A Walk-In Shower With a Half Wall
A ground-level shower works for large dogs since they are able to enter it directly. Close off the entry with a half wall or half glass and a low door, so your dog can’t jump out. For example, one dog owner said that their dog likes to jump out of the bathtub while covered in soap. A mudroom dog washing station like this takes the most floor space, so if you’re planning a mudroom with dog wash from scratch, put the shower on the wall nearest the back door.
2. Mudroom: A Raised Tiled Shower With Pull-Out Steps
Elevate the shower pan on a platform so you can wash your dog while standing. Family Handyman’s design involves a shower pan measuring 32 inches by 48 inches along with three pull-out steps stored under it, costing around $501 to $1,000. A Reddit owner described a similar design: “a raised half shower with pull out steps stored underneath.” For a tiled dog wash station, use larger tiles on the walls, since one owner wanted “easily cleaned material (so I’d want less grout).” Save small tiles for the floor, where the extra grout lines help with grip. It’s a good mudroom dog washing station for medium dogs.
3. Laundry Room: A Utility Sink That Doubles as a Dog Bath
For a small dog, a deep utility sink does both jobs. This Old House points to a one-piece 20 x 20 inch mop sink, no more than 15 inches deep, for small and medium dogs. Add a pull-out sprayer faucet and a rubber mat. It’s the cheapest way to fit a dog wash station in laundry room layouts, because the pipes are already there. When you shop, look for a dog washing sink for laundry room use in stainless steel. One r/dogs owner wanted exactly that: “a stainless steel dog bath that can double as a utility sink.”
4. Laundry Room: A Built-In Tub Beside the Washer
With more room, set a raised tub into a cabinet next to the washer, with drawers for towels and shampoo below. A built in dog wash station like this costs $3,500 and up from a pro, according to Houzz. Mount the faucet high enough that your dog won’t bump its head. It’s the tidiest dog wash station in laundry room renovations can fit.
5. Garage: A Freestanding Stainless Tub
A freestanding stainless tub is the fastest garage dog wash station to set up. On Reddit, prices range from “about $300” for a 34-inch Vevor model to “over a grand, some are 2k+” for larger units with steps and doors. Still, you will require hot and cold water lines along with drainage, which many garages lack, so check the cost of the plumbing before you buy the tub.
6. Garage: A Half Shower on a Tiled Platform
The r/dogs garage poster’s plan B was “a tiled and elevated half shower stall.” A garage dog wash station built this way can be sized to your dog and your back. A tiled dog wash station in a garage also needs waterproof board behind the tile, because garage walls aren’t built for splashing. Our garage paint ideas help with the rest of the walls.
7. Yard: A Hot and Cold Outdoor Dog Shower
An outdoor dog wash station keeps the mud outside. Cool water is ideal during the summertime, whereas a mixing valve that blends hot and cold water will allow you to make use of it during other times of the year. As one Reddit commenter put it, dog showers are “fitted like an outside tap but have temperature controls and a shower hose, usually covered by a box when not in use.” For cold environments, a frost-proof tap is ideal, and the line should be turned off before winter. Don’t forget to check your plants for toxicity to pets.
8. Yard: A Gravel Wash Pad by the Back Door
No plumber? Lay a pad of pea gravel near the back door, with a hose reel and a towel hook. Soapy water soaks into the gravel instead of running down the driveway. It uses the same base as a dog potty area, so an outdoor dog wash station can sit right next to one.
9. Budget: A Paw-Rinse Station for Muddy Feet
If you only need to rinse feet, forget about plumbing. Some Reddit owners recommend “a kiddy pool, or a large flat storage bin, like you get for fitting under a bed,” while one British owner uses a “£10” paddling pool and a “£4” bucket. A dog paw washing station can be a bin, a towel hook and a mat inside the back door. It’s the cheapest of all the dog wash station ideas here. Our dog corner ideas cover the leash and towel spot that goes with it.
10. Budget: A Lower Hand Shower in Your Bathroom
A hand shower on a long hose, mounted at a low level, transforms the tub or walk-in shower into a place where the dog can be washed. One owner had “a hand shower installed lower for rinsing off dogs.” The AKC also says that “a detachable shower spray nozzle makes bathing much easier.”
How Big Should a Dog Wash Station Be?
Whichever of these dog wash station ideas you pick, size it for your dog and for you. This Old House’s tip: the washing space should be at least six inches taller and wider than your dog. And give yourself some space to work in too. One owner working in a small shower worries about “knocking the glass door open with my elbow or clunking my head on the temperature dial.”
These dog wash station dimensions are a starting point:
| Dog’s weight | Good fit | Size to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Under 25 lb | Raised utility sink or mop sink | 20 x 20 in to 24 x 36 in, up to 15 in deep |
| 25 to 60 lb | Raised shower pan or stainless tub with steps | About 32 x 48 in |
| Over 60 lb | Floor-level shower, or a raised pan with a ramp | 36 x 48 in or bigger. A 60 x 34 in pan fits several dogs. |
For a raised built in dog wash station, set the tub floor at about wrist height with your arms at your sides, the rule Family Handyman uses. That stops the bending one Reddit owner hated: “I don’t want to have to bend over or kneel on the ground.” A large dog washing station for home use needs steps, a ramp or a floor-level entry, because you shouldn’t be lifting a wet 70-pound dog.
How Much Does a Dog Wash Station Cost?
Prices for these dog wash station ideas range from almost nothing to a small remodel:
| Setup | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Paw-rinse bin or kiddie pool | Under $50 |
| Freestanding stainless tub | About $300 to $2,000 or more, before plumbing |
| DIY station with a shower tray and tile | About $300 to $800 (Angi) |
| Raised DIY build with pull-out steps | $501 to $1,000 (Family Handyman) |
| Laundry room tile and plumbing by pros | Roughly $2,000 (one Reddit owner’s estimate) |
| Professionally built in dog wash station | $3,500 and up (Houzz) |
| Custom cabinetry or a fully featured station | $5,000 to $10,000 (Houzz, Angi) |
Houzz’s figures date from 2016, so expect higher prices today.
Plumbing and Safety Details to Get Right
Most dog wash station ideas online stop at the photo. These details decide whether you’ll actually use it.
Hot Water and an Anti-Scald Valve
Washing dogs should be done with lukewarm water. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, your tub should be filled with 3 to 4 inches of water. Rather than having just one line of cold water coming in, run hot and cold water lines to your mixing valve. As per This Old House’s advice, an anti-scald valve is recommended, and building codes sometimes require one. Choose a sprayer hose of 18 to 24 inches for raised tubs and 3 to 5 feet for walk-in stalls.
Hair in the Drain
Brush the dog prior to bathing it, as advised by the AKC, so loose fur ends up in the brush rather than in the pipe. Use a hair trap over the drain and empty it after each washing session.
A GFCI Outlet for the Dryer
The outlet should be GFCI-protected if you use a blow dryer. The 2023 National Electrical Code requires GFCI protection in places like garages, outdoors, laundry rooms, damp spaces like mudrooms, and within six feet of any sink, bathtub or shower. The AKC recommends keeping the dryer off its hottest setting and at least one foot from your dog’s body. After the bath, give your dog a warm, quiet place to dry off. A dog house under the stairs works well for this.
A Floor That Isn’t Slippery
Wet dogs and owners slip. This Old House says to use tile with a coefficient of friction of 0.42 or higher when wet, and smaller floor tiles for more grout lines and traction. On a tiled dog wash station, add a rubber mat for your dog as well.
Freezing Pipes
In an unheated garage or outside, water lines may freeze. Install a frost-proof faucet outside, and drain the pipes and turn off the water source before the first frost.
Soapy Runoff Outside
Even biodegradable shampoo is not supposed to get into the streets. In Long Beach, the City asks pet owners who bathe their pets outdoors to “wash it on your lawn or another absorbent/permeable surface” to keep the washwater out of the storm drain. Put an outdoor dog wash station on grass or gravel, not the driveway.
Dog Wash Station FAQs
In most situations, yes, if you bathe your dog often or it usually comes home muddy. According to Angi, using a home dog tub can save you “upwards of $600 per year per dog” compared with regular groomer visits. A basic groom costs $30 to $200 depending on the dog’s size, according to Whole Dog Journal. The cheaper dog wash station ideas, like a paw-rinse bin, pay for themselves even faster.
How high should a dog wash station be?
Make sure the floor of the tub is at about wrist height when your arms are by your sides. Small dogs can be carried in, while large dogs should have pull-out steps or a ramp, or a floor-level shower.
Can you fill a dog tub that has a door?
Some can and some can’t. Look for a sealed door and a drain plug in the product listing. Most people rinse their dog with the sprayer anyway, and the ASPCA approach requires only 3 to 4 inches of water.
Can I put a dog wash station in an unheated garage?
Yes, with a plan for winter. A garage dog wash station needs pipes that won’t freeze, a GFCI outlet for the dryer, and water warm enough for your dog. Drain the lines in freezing weather, or keep the garage above freezing.
How do I keep dog hair out of the drain?
Brush your dog beforehand, cover your drain with a hair catcher, and clear it out after each bath.
How often should I wash my dog?
The ASPCA advises bathing your dog at least once every three months, and more often for dogs that frequently stay outside. The AKC suggests keeping baths to a minimum to preserve the skin’s natural oils, though oily-coated dogs might even need a bath every week.